Claimed By her Daddies by Laylah Roberts

20

Screeching tires.

The car hitting with a thud.

Lifeless eyes staring out at her.

Opening the envelope with her name on it. Inside there were photos of Matek, lying on the ground. Staring at her with lifeless eyes.

He’d died. He was dead. Matek!

Stay away from them. Or else.

Matek!

She sat up,her body shuddering as she tried to pull enough air into her lungs.

Oh God. Oh God.

How had she forgotten about the photos? Oh no! This really was her fault.

She’d been warned to stay away from them. And now . . . Matek was hurt because of her. Was it all related? She didn’t know.

But it was too much of a coincidence, right?

She glanced around. She was in the penthouse bedroom and the clock said it was eleven pm. They’d gotten back here around an hour ago. She’d had a quick shower before climbing into bed.

She must have fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Where was Aric? Getting up, she heard water coming from the bathroom. In the shower.

So she mustn’t have called out while having a nightmare.

This was all her fault.

Guilt ate away at her insides as she moved around, gathering up clothes and pulling them on. Where was her handbag? She searched around then found it by the door. Someone had brought it back here with them. Maybe Beck. She searched through it. She didn’t have any cash, but she had her credit cards. She stuffed Cranky, who she’d been sleeping with, into her handbag.

She needed to get out of here.

Where are you going? What will you do?

She didn’t know. The room swum around her sickeningly. She was so tired. Tears filled her eyes.

Tell Kassim. Tell him about this.

Oh God. Oh God.

She had to leave them. But she couldn’t go without knowing if Matek was all right.

Go back to the hospital. Check on him. Tell them.

Moving from the bedroom, she headed towards the door.

“Pippa?”

She ignored Judd, the door in her sights. Then he was standing between her and the exit.

“Pippa, what do you think you’re doing? Why aren’t you in bed?” His voice was almost gentle. Kind.

“I have to go. Move out of the way.”

“You’re not going anywhere, Pippa. You’re still in a state of shock. You’re exhausted. You need sleep and care.”

“Why are you being so nice? You’re never nice.”

“I’m sorry if you think that and if I’ve ever been unkind to you. But I do care about you, Pippa.”

“You shouldn’t. This is all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault. Yes, you did break protocol and the rules and once you’re feeling better you’re going to need to have a talk with the princes about that. I mean, if you were my sub, you’d get your butt roasted, but that’s up to them.”

What? Had he really just said that? Could he say that to her?

Oh, what did it matter? It wasn’t like she didn’t deserve to be punished. She deserved far more.

“It’s all my fault.”

“You didn’t make that person hit Matek. That had nothing to do with you. Come on, all this guilt is going to make you feel ill.”

“No, you don’t understand. It’s not just that.”

“Pippa? Judd? What’s going on?”

She turned to see Aric striding towards them. He was wearing a pair of pajama pants; his hair was still damp and flicked back. Under normal circumstances, she’d be rendered stupid at the sight of his bare chest and all those muscles.

But the guilt and worry had clawed in deep and she couldn’t shake it free.

“Pippa, why are you up and dressed?” Aric asked, stepping closer.

“She was saying how this was all her fault. I was explaining that the person to blame was the one behind the wheel.”

“You also said you’d spank me for breaking the rules,” she pointed out dryly.

“If you were mine, I would spank your ass,” Judd said simply. “Rules are there for a reason, to keep you safe.”

“Judd,” Aric said in a warning voice.

“It might sound harsh, but a punishment would also rid you of the guilt you feel.”

Not possible.

“You don’t understand. It’s not the fact that I ran out onto the road. I was warned to stay away from you all and I didn’t. This is my fault. I have to go. I have to tell Matek I’m sorry then I have to leave you all.”

“Okay, that’s not happening. You’re not going anywhere, definitely nowhere without any of us,” Aric told her firmly.

“I have to,” she told him fiercely. “Judd, get out of my way.”

“Not happening, princess.”

“I’m not a princess.”

“You will be soon,” he told her. “And it’s my job to protect you.”

“If you won’t get out of the way, I’m calling the police and making you.”

“Pippa!” Aric said, reaching for her. “What is wrong?”

She shied away from him, ignoring the hurt on his face. Well, she tried to. But that hurt stabbed deep as well. She just kept messing up.

She didn’t deserve them.

“Pippa, just stop and talk to me,” Aric said.

Okay, she needed to tell them. To warn them. Also, they needed to know why she had to leave. God, she didn’t want to.

Be brave, Pippa.

“I didn’t remember, you have to believe me. If I’d remembered, I would have stayed away. I would have protected you all.”

“Pippa, remembered what?” Aric asked. “What do you mean, protect us? From who?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know who it is.” She shook her head, sobs breaking free. “It was just slipped under my door. I don’t know who . . .”

She was aware that she sounded like she was half-crazed, but she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t seem to gather her thoughts. The trauma of today, her exhaustion, her fear, it was piling up on top of her.

“Pippa, come sit down,” Aric urged.

“No, don’t touch me.”

Aric drew his hands back. “I apologize.”

Oh God. She was making a hash of this.

“She’s still in shock, man,” Judd said in a quiet voice. “She’s not acting rationally. You can’t hold her accountable for her actions right now. She needs you to be strong when she can’t be.”

“I know,” Aric replied, confidence returning to his voice. “Poppet, you’re going to come sit on the couch. Now.”

Her gaze slid to him in surprise. Before she knew it, her body was turning and moving to the couch.

“I can’t stay, Aric.”

“Talk to me.” He sat on the coffee table across from her, not touching her but close enough to grab her if she ran. She noticed Judd stayed by the door. He watched her alertly.

Was the man a machine? She’d never seen him get tired.

“A few days ago. Wait, it was last Wednesday. The day after you gave me those shoes. That morning, as I was heading out the door there was an envelope on the floor by the door. I opened it and there were photos of me . . .” she took a deep breath, “me and Tavi.”

“You and Tavi where?”

“In the room with the copier,” she whispered. “He was kissing me and other things.” Things she didn’t want to mention in front of Judd.

“What the fuck? Who would send those to you?” Aric asked.

“And how would they get them?” Judd wondered.

“I think they were off a video feed maybe,” she said. “They were grainy. Not good quality and black and white.”

“What kind of message is that to send? What did they hope to gain?” Aric wondered.

“Was there a note?” Judd asked.

She looked over at him and nodded. “On the back, it said: Slut, leave them alone or else.

Tell anyone and they die.”

“Do you still have them, Pippa?” Judd asked.

“They’re at my cottage. In my bedside drawers.”

“I’ll call Caleb, get him to grab them. We might be able to get prints. Did you tell anyone?” Judd asked.

“No,” she whispered. “I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. I still don’t. But Matek has been hurt. What if it’s related? I mean, maybe that’s far-fetched. But if it’s not then maybe someone thinks I talked or they’re angry I didn’t stay away from you all and they tried to kill Matek.”

“Or they tried to kill you,” Aric said grimly. “Pippa, there’s something we didn’t tell you.”

* * *

Aric watchedher face grow pale as he told her about the attack on her in the alley.

“I didn’t fall?”

“No, Poppet. Someone attacked you.”

“I don’t remember.” She rubbed her temples as though she had a headache.

“I know, but the doctor said that’s perfectly normal after a concussion.”

“But I didn’t remember about the photos either.” She looked so small and shaken. It was killing him. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms, but he was worried she’d shy away from him again.

Be the person she needs right now. Strong. In control.

He’d been worried that she’d only ever see him as a jokester, someone who didn’t take anything seriously. This was his opportunity to show her that he could be all things to her. Someone she could have pranks with and play mini-golf or go shopping. And someone she could lean on when things were rough, who she could cede control to if she needed to. Someone who could be her man and her Daddy, if that’s what she needed.

So he shored up his confidence and sat next to her. Then he lifted her onto his lap. She was tense but he just kept his arms around her. He was aware of Judd in the background, speaking on the phone. Probably updating Caleb and Kassim.

Aric gently took hold of her chin, tilting her face back. “None of this is your fault, Poppet.”

“How isn’t it? Someone sends me a message to stay away from you guys. I damn well forget about it and then Matek gets hurt.”

“Yes, but it seems that it is you who are the one in danger, not us.”

“But Matek got hurt.”

“Matek wasn’t even supposed to be there, remember? He pushed you out of the way. The car was aimed for you. Someone attacked you. We need more protection for you.”

She wriggled on his lap. “Why didn’t you guys tell me? I had a right to know I was attacked.”

Aric sighed. “I wanted to, but Kassim made the point that you weren’t supposed to be stressed.”

“Fine, I get that. But after a few days, you should have told me. Before I got on the plane, you should have told me.”

“You’re right,” he agreed, seeing her eyes flare with surprise. “We should have. Then this might not have happened. So it’s our fault, not yours.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because we want to shelter you, protect you.”

“But you can’t keep things from me when they affect me. Then things like this happen. If I’d known I was in danger . . .”

“Yes? Then what? You’d have taken more care? Or you’d have run from us like you just tried to do?”

A guilty look crossed her face and he started to understand exactly why Kassim had held this back from her. She’d do whatever she had to do to protect them.

The thing she didn’t seem to realize is that they would do the same for her.

“Poppet, we held information back to protect you. But as soon as you found that envelope, you should have told us.”

“I couldn’t. They threatened you.”

“They hurt you,” he said fiercely. “And you are more important than us. You are the most important person in our world.” And he would tell her that every day if he needed to.

She fought her way out of his hold and started pacing back and forth. “Who could do this? Why? Why would anyone want me to stay away from you guys? Who could have access to those images? Why would they hurt me?”

As she paced, she tugged at her hair. She was utterly exhausted, running on steam and he knew she’d crash at some stage. But he’d rather get her into bed before that happened.

“Those are all good questions,” Judd said, coming over to them. “Kassim wants to talk to you, Aric.”

He took the phone reluctantly, keeping his gaze on Pippa. He was aware of how many times she looked over at the door. As though planning her escape.

Not happening, baby.

“Kassim,” he said.

“How is she?” Kassim shot out.

“About as good as you’d expect. Blaming herself for Matek getting hurt.”

“Is he awake?” she demanded, looking over at him. “Let me talk to Kassim. Tell him I’m coming back to the hospital. I need . . . I need to see Matek.”

“She wants to come back to the hospital. She wants to know if Matek is awake. I think she plans on coming to see him then leaving us.”

She shot him a nasty look, holding out her hand imperiously.

Uh-uh, Poppet. You’re not in charge right now.

“She’s not to come here. From what Judd told me she’s nearly hysterical. Matek did wake briefly and asked for her, but do not tell her that. You’re to keep her there where it’s safer. We can’t keep her well-guarded here. And besides that, she’s supposed to be resting.”

“I know. I didn’t plan on letting her leave.”

“Fuck. I can’t believe this happened. That she was threatened and we didn’t fucking know.”

Aric’s eyebrows rose as his normally proper, stoic brother swore. But he got it. These were not normal circumstances.

“Do you need one of us to come back to help with her?”

“No,” he said firmly. “I got this. You stay with Matek. We can swap around later.”

“Right. I’m going to see about getting us more protection for her. I think Jameson might know some people. Ex-MI6.”

“You organize that. I have our girl.”

Aric ended the call and stood, handing the phone to Judd. “I’m going to take Pippa back to bed. Don’t disturb us unless it’s urgent.”

“You got it,” Judd said. “I’m going to stay on duty for another few hours to let Hux sleep then we’ll swap out. We’ll be out here, watching the door.”

“I want to go to the hospital,” she demanded.

“Not happening. You need to rest. And it’s not as easy to keep you protected at the hospital.”

Judd grunted in agreement. He knew having one of them in the hospital had to make his job more difficult. Hopefully, Matek healed quickly. His brother wouldn’t like being bed-ridden so he was likely going to push his recovery.

“I just want to see Matek before I . . .”

“Before you what? Leave us?” he asked in a hard voice.

She looked devastated for a moment then she firmed her shoulders. “It’s for the best.”

“No, you think it is. But what is for the best is for you to trust us to take care of this.”

Pippa stared at him, her eyes swimming with tears. “But what if you get hurt? What if something else happens? Matek could have died . . . I can’t. I can’t do this, Aric. I have to go.”

“Pippa, no.”

He grasped hold of her arms. She fought him, pulling at his hold. Her breath was heaving in and out of her lungs.

“Pippa, calm down.”

“No, let me go.”

Fuck. Shit.

“Damn it.” He bent and put his shoulder to her tummy, lifting her over his shoulder.

“Aric!” she cried. “Put me down.” She slammed her fists against his back.

Slap! Slap!

He gave her ass several smacks. He immediately felt bad. She was only trying to protect them. He couldn’t blame her for losing it like this. She had to feel completely out-of-control, she was floundering.

That was why she needed him to be firm. If he started giving in, she’d take that as weakness and she’d push him. And he couldn’t allow her to leave. Not with her safety at stake. And if she continued like this, she’d likely make herself ill.

Totally unacceptable.

“Put. Me. Down.” She squirmed around on his shoulder and he gave two more smacks as she attempted to knee him in the gut. One arm went over her legs as he moved towards the bedroom.

“Stop it! You have no right to do this!”

“I do when you’re about to put yourself at risk because you think you need to protect us.”

“So? Wouldn’t you do the same for me?” she asked as he stopped into the bedroom.

“If I set you down, will you run?”

“Yes!”

“Little hell cat. Settle down.”

Smack! Smack!

“Asshole!” she screeched.

Smack! Smack!

“Put me down!”

“I will once you calm down and agree that you’re going nowhere.”

She went slack. Her breathing deep. His suspicions were aroused. That felt too easy. But he had to follow through so he set her down on the bed. She immediately tried to roll off but he crawled over her, grasping hold of her wrists in one hand.

Part of him thought this was wrong. He shouldn’t just take control of her body. But the other part of him was terrified that if he didn’t, she’d walk out of here and get herself killed.

“I would protect you until my last breath.”

“So? Why are you doing this? Let me go. If I leave, you’ll be safe.”

“You don’t know that. You don’t know what this person will do. I might be safe, or I might not. But the one person who won’t be safe, is you. They’ve already shown they’re willing to hurt you.”

“But I don’t want them to hurt any of you!”

“Don’t take the fact that we have bodyguards to mean that we can’t take care of ourselves. And you. But you need to let us.”

“Matek ended up in the hospital!”

“He protected you. Are you going to make his sacrifice for nothing? Are you willing to just throw your life away so easily? Does it mean nothing to you? Do our lives mean nothing to you?”

“Of course they do, that’s why I’m doing this.”

“No, because if you knew what you meant to us you’d realize that not having you in our lives would be the worst thing we could suffer.”

“Aric,” she said quietly.

“I love you, Pippa,” he told her. “All I want is you. In my life, in my arms. But you need to trust me.”

He loved her. It was the first time he’d said it. But he wasn’t expecting her to say it back. Not yet, anyway.

“I can’t lose anyone else. I can’t.” The fight slumped out of her.

“I know. I know you can’t. Just like we can’t lose you.” He lay on his back on the bed and rolled her on top of him. She burst into tears, burying her face into his chest.

He ran his hands up and down her back. “Easy, Poppet, easy. I have you. I have you.” As much as he hated to hear her cry, he knew that she had to get all of those emotions out. That she’d been bottling them up.

“I’m s-so sorry I h-hit you.”

“Hush, you don’t need to worry about that. I barely even felt those puny smacks anyway.”

“Hey!” She leaned up to glare down at him. Her eyes were swollen and puffy, her cheeks were pale except for two splotches of bright red. He had to get her to drink something. He doubted she’d eat but he had brought some protein powder with him. He could make her up a drink.

“Promise me you’re not going to try and leave us. We’re stronger together.”

“Do you think the others will be upset with me?”

“They will be upset if you leave,” he told her.

“I’m so scared of something happening to one of you.”

“I know, Poppet. I can’t promise it won’t. All I can promise is that we’ll take very good care of ourselves. And of you.”

She slumped against him. He squeezed her tight. “You need sleep. And something to fuel you. I’m going to get you back into your pajamas and you can curl up with Cranky and your pacifier while I make you a drink.”

“Don’t wanna drink.”

“Not even in your new Batman bottle?”

She eyed him. “That’s bribery.”

“I’ll do whatever I have to in order to get you to drink something.”

“Hmm, anything, huh?”

She was putting on a good show, but he could see the exhaustion and fear in her gaze. “Everything will be all right, Pippa.”

* * *

She snuggled under the covers.She knew that she shouldn’t be here. That she should go. But Aric’s words kept playing in her head. What would she gain by leaving? Sure, they might be safe. But who knew what this crazy person wanted?

Should she trust them to look after her? After themselves? The idea of losing one of them was devastating. But so was walking away from them all.

She was so confused.

All she wanted to do was hide. From the fear, the worry. She cuddled Cranky close as Aric returned. She sucked on her pacifier to ease her anxiety.

He was carrying the bottle they’d bought today. She hadn’t been too certain about using it at the time. Now, it seemed nearly perfect.

Instead of just handing it to her like she’d expected, he climbed in under the covers and drew her into his chest, pushing the nipple to her mouth.

“Just drink,” he whispered. “Don’t think. Don’t dream. Just drink and sleep. I’ll keep everything else at bay.”